It's A Deal
by blind-broccoli
Summary: With Riley busy with her boyfriend, Maya begins to feel the familiar pang of abandonment creep upon her. A second deal made with Riley's Uncle Josh might be just what she needs to figure out where she wants to go in life and to realize that there are some things she can achieve without Riley's help.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World or any of its characters. This will be a Joshaya fanfic but I'm thinking about including a few other love interests for Josh and/or Maya. If you have any suggestions please leave a review! Thanks for reading, enjoy!_

 **Chapter One**

Maya stared around in dismay, checking her watch for what felt like the hundredth time before releasing a defeated sigh and beginning to pack up. For the fifth time in as many days Riley had failed to show up and hadn't bothered to text or call, so now Maya was done.

She was done waiting for Riley to rush in hours late full of apologies and empty promises only to bail with Lucas at the first opportunity she got. Maya hated herself for being so angry with Riley and she hated Riley for giving her reasons to be angry. It's not like Maya wasn't happy for Riley and Lucas, despite the fact that she'd basically stopped them from being together for an entire year because of confused feelings and a weird triangle nobody still seemed to be able to understand. No, what Maya wasn't happy about was the fact that Riley became one of those girls that dropped all of their friends for their boyfriend.

The first few weeks had been fine, everyone had just assumed that Riley and Lucas wanted to spend some time alone together to get comfortable as a couple. And then a few weeks of last minute cancelled plans and sitting in different seats at lunch had changed to a few months of cancelled sleepovers and ignored messages and Maya had finally had enough. She'd thought that she and Riley were getting back on track; Riley agreed to help her study for their end of year exams because she wasn't doing too well in Algebra. Now she knew that Riley simply didn't have time for her anymore, so Maya was going to fill the time she spent waiting for Riley to not show up with other things, starting right now.

With her bag packed she stood from the table at Topanga's and waved goodbye to her mom, who'd been watching her sit alone at the same table everyday after school for a week. Her mom lifted a hand in reply and quirked an eyebrow, unable to talk due to customers but still wanting to show Maya that she cared about what was going on in her life. Maya shrugged in response and shouldered through the door, slipping her phone out from her pocket and dialing Zay's number. He wasn't terrible at Algebra and she knew Farkle and Smackle were on a study date.

The phone rang once before Zay's voicemail cut in and Maya cursed when she remembered he had a ballet class that afternoon. Standing on the street outside Topanga's she pondered about what to do. She could turn around and go back into Topanga's to deal with her mom's pity stares and sad smiles, she could go home and listen to the neighbors shout to each other in Spanish or she could find another coffee shop and try to work out how the hell she was going to pass her exams.

Deciding to go with option three Maya tightened the straps on her bag and picked a random direction to start walking in, sure that she would see one of New York's billion coffee shops within a few minutes and vowing to herself enter the first one she saw and buckle down with her work. She slid her phone back into her pocket without letting Riley know about her change of plans. She probably wouldn't notice anyway.

The first cafe she saw was a place called Filter, a quaint building squashed between a vintage music store and a retro bookshop. It was the kind of place she usually avoided in part because of the excess of people wearing fake glasses but mostly considering the usually overpriced coffee and terrible music. Adjusting the straps of her bag she sighed and decided why the hell not, stepping in and hoping to god that the drinks weren't too expensive.

Maya immediately realized her judgement outside probably wasn't fair. As soon as she stepped through the bitter aroma of coffee hit her like a slap to the face; she instantly felt both wide awake and immensely more relaxed. A low buzz of chatter accompanied the soft music and the sound of the coffee machines. The WiFi code was printed in blue on the wall beside the menu, which thankfully had similar prices to Topanga's. From all the people sitting around circular tables with laptops plugged into sockets Maya guessed the internet service wasn't terrible.

The people that were already here looked relaxed, even those that were hunched over books like Maya would soon be. The barista behind the counter gave her friendly smile but made no move to hurry her along in the ordering process and Maya took the time to survey the customers and figure out a good spot to hunker down in.

There was a man bent over a journal in the far corner, pen rapidly filling up pages as he absently stirred a drink with his other hand. A few tables over two woman were sharing a brownie and holding hands, while in the seat across from them an elderly lady sat staring absently around her with a take away cup held in two gloved hands. Behind her were a couple of students, comparing notes and sharing earphones while another boy sat a few tables away, books stacked up on the table in front of him and pieces of crumpled paper littering the other chairs at his table. Maya stared at him for a moment, wondering why he looked so familiar but deciding to put it down to the fact that she was avoiding sitting down to study. Just as she looked away he looked up, and she couldn't have stopped herself even if she tried.

"Josh?" Maya's cheeks burned as his name slipped from her mouth without permission, and they reddened even more when he looked up at the sound of his name. She watched him scan the shop for a moment before his eyes settled on her and widened in surprise. Obviously this was as unexpected for him as it was for her.

He looked unsure for a moment and for one horrible second Maya thought he would ignore her and that everything that had happened at the Ski Lodge in January ( _someday someday someday_ ) was just a cruel figment of her imagination. Then a smile spread across his face and despite the fact that he was obviously buried in work he quickly pushed away from his table and hurried towards her, tugging down the sleeves of his NYU hoodie and running his hand through his already messy hair.

He looked incredibly uncertain when he reached her, as if he was torn between shoving his hands into his pockets or reaching out and pulling her into a hug. Maya, relief rushing through her at the sight of him standing in front of her with a nervous smile and not pretending to not see her decided to take the decision out of his hands, launching herself at him and burying her face in the curve between his neck and his shoulder.

Josh relaxed against her, arms going around her waist to pull her closer as hers looped around his back and she clasped her hands. He closed his eyes and laughed a bit, amazed at how easy it was to be comfortable with her when just a minute ago he'd been so stressed that he was seriously considering dropping out of school altogether and joining the circus. Senior year was getting harder the closer he got to the end.

After a moment they pulled back and Maya was thrilled when Josh stayed almost as close as he'd been while they hugged. His hands were on her shoulders as he looked down at her and although she could see he was tired (the bags under his eyes were a testament to that) she could also see how genuinely pleased he was to see her.

"Maya, what are you doing here?" Josh questioned, frowning a bit when he noticed her smile dim and her shoulders drop, almost like she was trying to hunch over to avoid any attention from being diverted her way. He mentally face-palmed as he re-thought his question and hurried on before she could speak, cursing himself for phrasing it so bluntly and probably making her feel like he didn't want her around.

"It's not like I'm not happy to see you or anything because I am! Happy to see you, I mean. I just wasn't expecting you to be here. Not that you should go! It's great that you're here, you should definitely stay, the coffee's great! Do you want one? Unless you weren't staying, or, or you were meeting someone else or something, which is, uh, great?" Josh fumbled through his questions, feeling his face growing red at the smirk on Maya's face while she watched him make a fool of himself. Fuck, how old was he again? 12? Why did talking to her turn him into a bumbling fool!

Maya smirked as his face grew increasingly more red. She loved the effect she seemed to have on him. The last time she'd seen him so flustered was at the Ski Lodge, where they'd declared their feelings and decided to play the Long Game. Josh Matthew's wore being flustered well though, his shy smile and agitated hands practically causing Maya's heart to melt and placing an amused smile back on her face, despite her mood.

"Sure Josh, a coffee would be...great," Maya laughed, repeating the word he'd used more than once in his frantic babbling and getting a small relieved chuckle back in response. Taking one of her hands in his own Josh led her over to his table and made quick work of transferring all the wrinkled paper from one of the seats to the other growing stack of paper balls on another chair.

Josh nodded once and gestured for her to sit while he made his way over to the barista, who had watched their exchange with a small smile but offered no comment other than , "Enjoy your coffee and let me know if you'd like a refill," when Josh ordered and payed for Maya's.

While Josh was getting coffee Maya took the time to get a look at what he was working on. She knew that his acceptance into NYU depended on his end of year grades in school, but she hadn't realized that he also had to complete what looked like a portfolio to solidify his place in the Architecture Programme. From the look of the rough lines scrawled onto several pages and the collection of pencils with broken tips, frustration wasn't improving his work.

Maya startled when Josh suddenly reappeared, plopping a large mug in front of her before collapsing back into his own seat.

"So," he started again, running his eyes over her face and taking note of the tiredness etched into her features. Why did she look so worn down, when only a few weeks ago he thought the smile would never leave her face at the Ski Lodge?

"So," Maya repeated when he didn't continue, smiling lightly at him with a softness in her eyes usually reserved for him.

"I guess...what brings you here, Maya?" Josh said, watching Maya carefully a the smile slipped from her face and she cats her eyes downward.

"Are you sure you wanna know? You look fairly busy..." Maya asked, attempting to inject some of her usual playfulness into her voice but falling flat and instead sounding like someone who was used to people brushing them off or telling them that things would be fine without listening to what the problem was first.

"Tell me," Josh stated, squeezing one of her hands before picking up his coffee.

So tell him she did. Maya spent almost twenty minutes outlining to Josh exactly why everything sucked spectacularly at the moment, what with Riley brushing her off for Lucas and her own worry about her failing grades and the lack of inspiration she was having for her art at the moment. Feeling a little better even though he hadn't given her any help other than to squeeze her hand briefly a few times, Maya took a minute to wonder what Josh was doing hiding in the little unknown coffee shop in New York instead of going to Topanga's or being back in Philadelphia where he should be finishing off his senior year of High School.

When questioned Josh simply shrugged and attempted to bring the subject of conversation back to her but after spending almost half an hour spilling her guts Maya wasn't taking any of his avoidance crap.

"Uh," Josh started, glancing around and tapping one hand along the top of the table in an unsteady rhythm as he tried to figure out how to put what he was feeling into words. "I guess I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, you know? School's nearly over and then it's college and I'm...not sure I'm ready. Or that I really want to...go. To college."

Maya stared at Josh, stunned into silence. "Why?" she managed to say, staring at his face as it seemed to tighten with worry the longer the conversation went on.

Josh looked at her for a second, debating with himself on whether he should elaborate or try and just brush it off as nerves. But there was something about Maya that made him want to be honest with her, so he opened his mouth and began to tell her about how much pressure he felt like he was under, with the early acceptance and his parents constantly pushing him to do better.

"I just feel like no matter what I do they're always going to expect more! They tell me to do my best but they assume that my best is better than everyone else's and sometimes I think it would be easier to avoid college and to try get a job through a different route. I'm just...I'm finding it hard to keep going with school when I'm not sure where I want to end up, and this stupid assignment is really kicking my ass!" Josh exclaimed, draining the last of his mug and almost slamming it down onto the table.

"Maybe I could help?" Maya offered, rushing on before Josh could object, "I know I've only started High School and you're practically finished, but drawing is kind of my thing and you don't really need the sketch, right? You just need to visualize it properly to write about it? How about you describe it to me and I'll draw it? I could use the distraction and who knows, maybe helping you will unblock whatever it is that's stopping me from drawing."

Josh nodded slowly, confirming that the sketch wasn't a part of the project but was just something he wanted for himself, to properly see the draft he couldn't quite picture in his mind. Before he could thank her Maya continued to speak.

"And as for the other stuff...Josh, you're one of the smartest, most driven people I know. Your family loves you and they'll support whatever decision you make. Hiding out here instead of going to visit Cory isn't going to help anything. Things might seem like they're moving too fast but I promise you that everything will work out. And if it doesn't, you'll always have me," Maya winked at him, grinning when a smile reluctantly formed on his face and he sank back from his rigid position in the cushion of his chair.

"Alright," Josh agreed, matching her beaming smile with one of his own. "But, if you help me you have to let me help you, deal? You're having trouble with Algebra, right? I don't know if you've heard but I'm kind of a genius. I even got an early acceptance into NYU!"

Maya laughed, shaking her head as she stuck out her hand to shake his, holding on for a little longer than strictly necessary and taking them both back to another time when they'd shook on a deal. Releasing his hand Maya tucked a stray curl behind her ear and plucked a pencil from his case, figuring now was as good a time as any to get down to work.

They had a deal and, like the first one they'd ever made, Maya intended to see it through.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate the support! If you have any suggestions let me know!_**

 **Chapter Two**

Maya watched Josh as he slipped the last of his books into his bag, wondering what was going to happen next. She got to her feet when he pushed back his chair and slung her own bag around her back, picking up the few books that didn't fit and clutching them close to her chest. Josh bent and picked up a duffel bag she hadn't noticed before from behind his chair, hoisting it up while he shrugged his rucksack on.

"Just a few things for Cory's" he explained at her lifted eyebrow, continuing, "I figured I'd stay the weekend to get the project done, being away from my parents might help me focus a bit, you know? And Cory said I was always welcome, so.." Josh shrugged, gesturing vaguely to the door of the shop and following behind Maya when she turned.

"Does he know you're coming?" Maya questioned, zipping up her jacket and shoving her hands deep inside her pockets to stave off the chill she could feel outside the warmth of the cafe.

"I'm used to showing up unexpectedly," Josh said with a grin, nudging her elbow with his and wiggling his eyebrows until she had a sudden flashback of Josh's yelled, "Surprise!" at his Dad during the Christmas party earlier that year.

Maya blinked at him slowly before breaking out into peals of laughter as Josh looked bewildered but proud at his ability to amuse her, the look in his eyes warming her more than the flimsy jacket she wore ever could. They walked towards Topanga's without question, light banter and playful nudges accompanying them the entire way.

While Maya and Josh had both admitted to liking each other, neither one had anticipated how comfortable it would be to actually be around the other. Spending the afternoon talking and working together had made them both realize how easy it was when it was just the two of them alone. However the closer they got to Topanga's the harder it was to deny the fact that those three years still existed and they mattered even if it didn't feel like it.

Their pace slowed until, just around the corner from their destination, Josh pulled Maya to a halt, turning her so they were facing each other and pulling her closer so people could walk around them without hassle. They stared at each other in silence, eyes locked together as a thousand unspoken words seemed to pass between them.

With a shrug Maya offered a small smile, angling her head in the direction of Topanga's even as her eyes flicked down to Josh's fiddling hands. He followed her gaze before curling his fingers together and moving them to his side with sheepish smile, annoyed at himself for having such an obvious tell when it came to being nervous.

Finally Josh spoke.

"Long game?"

"Long game," Maya confirmed with a sharp nod, looking down so Josh wouldn't see the smile spread across her face and the blush filling her cheeks. Turning simultaneously they continued on to Topanga's, still walking slowly but both content with the time they'd spent together. As they reached the door Josh paused, one hand outstretched towards the door handle while he turned his head down to Maya's.

"You know I'm here if you need me, right? If you want to talk about Riley or school or well, anything, really, you can count on me. It might not be someday yet but that doesn't mean we can't be friends. I hope you know that," Josh finished, staring at her seriously so Maya knew that he was being honest and not just trying to be nice.

"I know that Josh, I do. And the same goes for you," Maya assured him, stepping out of the way as the door opened and and another customer stepped out. "And if you're going to be around for the weekend maybe I could help you a bit more with your project? I really did have fun today despite the Algebra after the art. Maybe we could just skip that part in the future and get straight into the art. Watcha reckon Boing, feel like spending more time with little ol' me?"

Josh nodded with a laugh, frowning at her good naturedly for the return of 'Boing' but happy to see her looking so much happier than she'd been earlier. Maya beamed back before flouncing through the door dramatically, missing Josh's quiet, "Always,"in response to her earlier question. Josh shook himself out of his thoughts and followed her through the door, getting a better handle on his bag so he could drop it promptly when Auggie came racing into his arms, as was tradition.

While Josh was hesitating outside Maya was eager to get in out of the cold and practically melted when she stepped into the warmth of Topanga's. Scanning the cafe or her mom she sighed when she didn't spot her, meaning Katy had a late shift and the diner a few blocks away. Topanga was behind the counter with Auggie sitting a stool and another quick scan revealed that Riley (and Lucas) were nowhere to be seen. Pushing away the slight resentment at the fact that Riley still hadn't showed (or called or texted or snap-chatted or contacted her in any way) Maya made her way over to Auggie, covering his eyes with her hands and looking behind her to meet Josh's eyes.

"Guess who" Maya singsonged, tickling Auggie in the side when he attempted to squirm away and only succeeding in making him squirm harder.

"Maya come on I know it's you," Auggie giggled, clawing at the hands covering his eyes and still striving to escape her unrelenting fingers dancing over his rib-cage.

"Aw buddy, and here I thought I was you're favorite person. You're too busy messing with Maya to say hi," Josh said sighing loudly as Maya swung Auggie's chair around so he was facing Josh and quickly removed her hands.

Auggie surged off the chair with a partially squealed, "JOSHIEEEE!"

Josh replied with an equally enthusiastic "AUGGIEEE!" Swinging him around in a circle and plopping his down onto his shoulders Josh pretended to stagger with the weight before straightening with a grin and a quick wink at Maya. Looking away he caught Topanga's eye and almost really did collapse but she gave no acknowledgment other than to raise an eyebrow.

Josh was only glad Cory wasn't there, or worse, Shawn.

"Maya, have you spoken to Riley recently? She mentioned she was going to the movies with Lucas but I haven't heard from her in a while and I was wondering what time she was going to be home?" Topanga questioned with a fond smile in Josh and Auggie's direction, missing the look on Maya's face when she registered what she'd just been asked.

Riley had gone to the movies? Riley had told her mom she was going to the movies? What about their study date?

Maya had assumed that Riley had just gotten caught up in her Riley/Lucas time, that she'd lost track of how long they'd spent together. But to know now that she'd made plans with Lucas far enough in advance to let Topanga know...

"Maya, Sweetie? Are you alright?"

Snapping out of her daze Maya's head shot up and she plastered a convincing smile across her face, leaning against the counter and pressing the nail of her thumb into her finger in an attempt to focus.

Waving an unconcerned hand, Maya replied, "Oh I'm sure she'll be home soon enough. You know Riley, she'll come through the door just before dinner with all her homework done and that dreamy smile she's had on her face all week. And Lucas would never let anything happen to her, he cares too much about her..." Trailing off she lifted a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, inwardly cringing when she caught the concerned look Josh was sending her.

Suddenly overwhelmed Maya decided it was a good time to leave. Topanga and Josh were both distracted by the entrance of Cory striding in through the door of the cafe. With exclamations of "My brotha!" ringing in her ears Maya escaped through the partially open door, blinking away the burning in her eyes and striding purposefully in the direction of her little apartment.

Dropping her bag and keys at the door she headed straight for her room, thankful for once that her mom wasn't home because it meant she didn't have to explain the tears running down her cheeks. Forgoing dinner she pulled on sweatpants and a ratty The Killers shirt before plugging her phone into the charger at the wall. She'd just turned away when she heard the quiet 'ding' followed by the vibration of a message received. Sure it was Riley she considered ignoring it but decided she probably wouldn't sleep if the text went unread.

Unlocking her phone she was surprised to see that it wasn't the Matthews she'd been expecting to contact her. Josh's name was lit up on her screen, accompanied by a short text that had her smiling even though five seconds ago it was the last thing she wanted to do.

 _ **J: Are you okay? You disappeared when Cory came in, I wanted to walk you home.**_

Maya grinned at his admission, still feeling like someone had punched her in the gut but now slightly less severely. Her smile widened as a flurry of other texts suddenly came through and she fought the urge to laugh when she realized Josh's penchant to babble wasn't confined to in-person conversations.

 _ **J: Not that you aren't capable of walking home yourself, I just didn't expect you to leave so suddenly.**_

 _ **J: It's not like I expect anything from you! I was just concerned!**_

 _ **J: Because we're friends! I'm just looking out for you. As a friend.**_

 _ **J: ...Can we just pretend I'd stuck with are you okay?**_

Deciding she could charge her phone in the morning Maya pulled it from the charger and collapsed onto her bed, flicking off the light so the room was illuminated by the screen of her phone.

Chewing on her lip while figuring out what to say, Maya decided to keep it short and sweet.

 _ **M: Appreciate the...friendly...concern Boing. I'm fine. I always am.**_

 _ **J: I know you're fine, but are you okay? I'm here if you need to talk.**_

 _ **M: I know. Thanks, Josh. I'll be okay.**_

 _ **J: If you're sure...**_

 _ **M: I am. :)**_

 _ **J: Till next time?**_

 _ **M: Till next time. Goodnight, Josh.**_

Setting an alarm for the morning Maya snuggled under her covers, feeling marginally better after her short conversation with Josh. Just knowing that there was someone willing to listen to her made all the difference. Placing her phone face down on her bedside table she sighed softly, closing her eyes and willing herself to dream about something easier than today had been.


End file.
